Cleanup in Blair after Tuesday night's storms

Posted: 06/05/14 09:04

Residents in eastern Nebraska are beginning to clean up damage caused by Tuesday's baseball-sized hail and winds as strong as 91 mph. Gov. Dave Heineman visited the community to see firsthand. 9 people were injured in Blair, hundreds of homes damaged and get this, 45 hundred vehicles at the local dealership were damaged. The Woodhouse Auto Family in Blair spent yesterday cleaning up broken glass on their lot. They got baseball sized hail. Marketing Director Lisa Cole says Tuesday's storm tops the one that hit ten years ago. Cole says they will be setting up tents today and bringing in appraisers to evaluate the damage. She says the retail value of the inventory is worth $163-million.

Also in Blair, officials estimate that the courthouse alone sustained more than $1.2 million damage because the rain continued for hours after hail shattered windows and skylights. Emergency Manager Bill Pook says the Washington County sheriff's office also sustained $600,000 to $700,000 damage to its vehicles and offices. Mayor Jim Raelph (Ralph) says there's no other way to put it, the baseball sized hail did a lot of damage.

Here in Central Nebraska, the National Weather Service office in Hastings has confirmed one tornado, in Hampton. The storm ripped a roof off a house. The weather service hasn't rated that tornado, yet. NWS says other tornadoes may be confirmed within the next 1-2 days, but these reports are still being investigated. They had two crews out yesterday assessing damage, and said there were numerous reports of large hail up to around golf ball size or slightly larger, and damaging wind gusts of 60-80 MPH.

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